TRENDS IN SMOKING PREVALENCE FROM 1974 TO 1986 IN YOUNG-ADULTS IN THENETHERLANDS

Data of two screening projects for cardiovascular risk factors were us ed to analyse trends in smoking behaviour in the Netherlands between 1 974 and 1986. In 1974-1980 about 30,000 men and women aged 37-43 years and in 1981-1986 about 80,000 men aged 33-37 years in five different towns were screened. Among men, smoking prevalence decreased significa ntly during the study period in three of the five towns and remained m ore or less constant in the other two. The decrease was stronger in 19 74-1980 (ca. 2 percentage points per year) than in 1981-1986 (ca. I pe rcentage point per year). Among women, smoking prevalence decreased at different rates in three of the towns and increased considerably in o ne town in the period 1974-1980. The smoking prevalence in 37-43 year old Dutch men and women amounted to 58-66% and 48-57% respectively in 1980. In 1986, the smoking prevalence was 48-58% in 33-37 year old men . Comparison with data from other countries showed that smoking preval ence among both men and women in the mid eighties was still high in th e Netherlands.